Psalm 80 reminds me of a TV Show called “The Biggest Loser”. Contrary to my initial thought, this show is an inspirational look at people competing to lose weight. Over the weeks these people are transformed, in some cases losing 100 pounds! After the burden of weight is removed, they are elated. One thing is always present; this change is accompanied by very hard work and lots of tears. This psalm sings of God’s Salvation. We can almost see the highlight reel being played with motivational music in the background as God is introduced, “Shepherd of Israel… You who sit enthroned between the cherubim… Awaken Your might; come and save us… Restore us… make Your face shine upon us“. Notice the description of the Jewish people, “You have fed them with the bread of tears… drink tears by the bowlful“. In life there are many kinds of tears, not all of them lead to healing. There are tears of regret and pain, tears of sorrow and loss, tears of anger and denial and tears of repentance and confession. These tears come with a call to God, “Restore us, O God Almighty; make Your face shine upon us, that we may be saved“: God’s restoration transforms us from the inside-out.
Next the writer describes an interesting image. “You brought a vine out of Egypt… You cleared the ground… it took root and filled the land… to the Sea… as far as the River“. He describes how God preserved the Jewish people and kept them pure even while living in captivity in Egypt and eventually entering the Promised Land. The Hebrew rootstock was moved, but it was kept preserved. Eventually the Hebrew nation expanded to occupy the whole land purchased by Abraham. Every homeowner knows you must maintain your property or it will fall into disrepair. The Hebrew people failed to honor God and in some cases took pagan wives and their false gods. “Why have You broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its grapes? …the creatures of the field feed on it“. He pleads, “Watch over this vine the root your right hand has planted, the son… Your vine is cut down“. As I understand it, once a grapevine is well established, it can be pruned almost to the ground and it will re-grow. He ends with a prayer for Messiah to restore the kingdom, “Let… the son of man You have raised up for Yourself… revive us… Restore us… make Your face shine upon us, that we may be saved“.
Romans chapter 11 discusses Jewish unbelief and God grafting in the branch of the Gentiles. The apostle Paul writes, “Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all!“. God is not through with the Jew! He adds, “Salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious“. But warns, “You, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root… You do not support the root, but the root supports you“.In John, chapter 15, Jesus taught His followers, “I am the true vine… I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit“. Please understand; the work of salvation was completed on the cross. The debt of sin was paid once and for all. How then are we grafted in? By faith alone. There is no sweat equity required; we just need to allow His Spirit to work through us. “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples“. Jesus added this as a sign of bearing fruit, “Love each other as I have loved you“. He gave us this example of sacrificial love, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends“. On the day I accepted Christ as my Savior, I shed tears because God removed the weight of my sin in an instant. Jesus says to you, “I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit fruit that will last” (John 15:16). What have you got to lose?